Scarlet Fever
by SMKLegacy
Summary: Sometimes, it’s just too much fun to mess with Catherine’s head. Response to the September 26, 2005 Unbound Improv Challenge and sequel to “Brown Study”.


**Scarlet Fever**

TEASER: Sometimes, it's just too much fun to mess with Catherine's head. Response to the 9-26-05 Unbound Improv Challenge and sequel to "Brown Study".

RATING: T for consistency's sake, though it could probably be K+.

SPOILERS: Through the Season 6 premier. The team is back together.

DISCLAIMERS: Not mine. No matter how hard I wish or pray, they never will be. So I'm just playing with them for fun without profit. All of that goes to Bruckheimer, et al.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: You'll get more from this story if you read the others in the series first. Reviews appreciated, archived at my site, and I think Omaha is a wonderful city, especially in the winter. First and last lines given, 1000 word limit for the story itself; according to MS Word 2003, I made it with 5 words to spare.

**CSI CSI CSI**

**"Well, what did you expect?"** Catherine tapped her foot as she waited for Grissom to answer. Grissom's attention, however, was firmly fixed on Sara's retreating backside. He mumbled something about "damned romances" getting in the way of the efficient running of the lab.

"Loyalty, damn it all." He slammed his hand down on the desk, then raked his hair in uncharacteristic aggravation.

She stopped tapping and smirked at him. "You told her to get a life, then went out and showed her how. You can't complain."

"I know." He sat back in his chair. "Ecklie approved my vacation for the same two weeks so I can take Marjorie to meet my mother and I can meet her parents."

Catherine felt her face fall into a caricature of Macaulay Culkin's open-mouthed scream in _Home Alone._ Never in a million years had she expected Gilbert John Grissom, Ph.D., to take a woman to meet his mother. Never in a billion that he would willingly go to meet hers! "Where do they live?"

"Omaha. I'm not sure what there is to do at New Year's in Omaha, but I'll be with Marjorie, so it won't matter."

"Gil, you've never done anything on New Year's Eve anyway, so you might as well be in Omaha." Then she realized the effects of this news on her. "Ah, crap, Grissom. I can't take my Christmas vacation this year."

"Like I said, loyalty. I know you like to be off when Lindsay is out of school. But she asked first officially, so she gets it."

Catherine started tapping her foot again. "What if I can find someone from another shift to cover?"

"Too much overtime. Swap with someone if you want to for the two weeks. I'll work it out with Joe and Carlito."

"Okay." She pushed herself out of the chair and made it to the door before something else occurred to her. "If you're gone, I've swapped shifts, and Sara's gone, who's going to be team lead?"

His words blindsided her. "The same person who would be leading it if I were the only one leaving."

Catherine slammed his door as she walked out. How could he leave anyone but her in charge in his absence?

**CSI CSI CSI**

Greg heard the unmistakable "clip-clap" of Catherine's high heeled boots on the tile floor and ducked into the Trace Lab to avoid a confrontation. The speed and ferocity of her pace meant only one thing: someone had _really_ pissed her off and she didn't care who caught the flack for it. Behind her back, Warrick and Nick called it "Scarlet fever" because it made her much like Scarlet O'Hara in _Gone With the Wind._ After watching the movie for the first time in his life, Greg was inclined to agree.

"Hey, Greggo. What's up?" Sara's voice wafted toward him from the far corner of the room.

He pulled out a stool and sat down, careful to avoid the edges of the sheet spread out across the main table. "Just keeping my distance from Scarlet, uh, Catherine."

"What did you do to her?" Sara turned back to the table and nodded toward the light switch.

Greg rolled over to the door and flicked the overhead lights off, turning away from the harsh purple glow of the ALS before he answered. "Nothing. She was coming from the direction of Grissom's office."

"Oh. Well, maybe she'll be so pissed at him that she won't have the energy to take it out on the rest of us tonight."

"Right." It was a nice thought, but not one likely to happen. He took a deep breath. "Sara, what's that scent?"

"I'm not sure. I've been trying to place it all night."

"Gregory Sanders! Get your damned gear!"

Greg looked at Sara, who shrugged and gave him a sweet though somewhat relieved smile.

"Scarlet bellows."

"Great." He stood up with a sigh. "Maybe she's finally come to grips with losing a grand on you and Grissom."

Catherine screamed. "GREG!"

He rolled his eyes at Sara and scooted through the door, running toward the break room and his kit.

**CSI CSI CSI**

Sara chuckled at Greg's exit. Grissom slid into the room and took the stool Greg had vacated with a flourish of cheerful toe tapping.

"You're responsible for her mood, aren't you?" Sara pointed the end of the ALS at Grissom. She loved the innocent expression on his face and had to restrain the urge to leap across the table into his arms.

He rolled around to the door and swung it closed before he answered. "Actually, Sara, you are. She doesn't like losing her Christmas vacation, especially since you're going to see Michael in Oregon and meet his parents in Boise."

"Michael? Boise?" They hadn't discussed any this, so Catherine must have put him on the spot but good.

"While I visit Marjorie's parents in Omaha." He grinned at her. "I hear Omaha has a great New Year's Eve party."

"Right. So now our mystery lovers have names. We'd better get pictures ready if we're going to keep this charade up much longer."

"I'm thinking till after Thanksgiving. Let's go see the Sox play the Sox."

"What?"

"Baseball playoffs. Chicago versus Boston, unless the Red Sox pull it together to win 3 straight from the damned Yankees."

She nodded. "As long as Babe Grissom is up to knocking in some home runs for himself while we're there, let's do it."

"Good. You know, for a sheet that had a dead body wrapped in it, that smells pretty good." He looked down at his hip, gestured to his phone, and got up without further comment, leaving the lab with a last look at her that made her wish they were at home.

She watched him answer his phone, marveling at the way her body hummed just from looking at him. She inhaled as a shudder of arousal swept through her, then smiled. **Nodding to herself, she finally placed the scent; it was sandalwood.**

**--FIN--**


End file.
